Twelve Days of Shipping
by awolflover2
Summary: Twelve shippy one-shots for the Twelve Days of Christmas! Current ships: Rocketshipping, Ikarishipping, Contestshipping, Pokeshipping, Leafgreenshipping, Handymanshipping
1. RocketShipping

_Hey-Oh! Wolfie here with the first of twelve oneshots! I was inspired by the twelve days of Christmas, so yeah. I know some of you are probably thinking something like "Twelve days of Christmas? Isn't she starting twelve days late?" I'm actually not, because the original twelve days of Christmas started on Christmas day. It said so on Wikipedia and other sources. So, for day one, it's Rocketshipping because one rumor says it was the first shipping in the Pokemon fandom! Now read on, fair readers! Read on!_

_**On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a Pidgey in a pear tree.**_

(Line-break)

It was Christmas Eve, and everyone was in bed. Everyone except for Team Rocket, of course.

"Another failed attempt at catching Pikachu. How many does this make it, James?" Jessie asked, trudging along in her skimpy uniform, apparently not feeling the cold. James started counting on his fingers, doing the math in his head.

"One thousand, four hundred, eleven, and a half,"James replied after a few seconds, shivering as a cold wind blew. He was bundled up in a winter version of the Team Rocket uniform, as was Meowth, who was also shivering.

"And a half? How's dat possible?" the Scratch Cat Pokemon asked. James shrugged.

"I figured one of you was coming up with a plan for catching the twerps' pokemon," he replied. Both Jessie and Meowth nodded.

"Can't argue with that," the magenta-haired woman said. Then she paused, scrunching up her forehead in thought. "James, what's today's date?"

"It's Meowth's job to keep track of that," he said, pointing back at the talking pokemon, who pulled out a pocket calendar.

"Looks like it's December 24th," Meowth said, confused as Jessie and James's faces grew panicked. "What's da matter?"

"It's Christmas Eve!?" they both practically shouted. Meowth nodded, confused still. Jessie and James both took a deep breath, glancing around.

"Why don't we set up camp here?" Jessie suggested. James nodded vigorously in agreement, so they all started clearing snow. Wobbuffet jumped out of his pokeball eagerly to help his trainer. Afterwards, James quickly straightened up.

"I'm gonna go- Uh- Find some firewood," he said before running off into the woods. Soon after, Jessie stood from where she'd sat down on the ground with Meowth and Wobbuffet.

"I'll go… Find us some food!" she said, running in the opposite direction than James had. Meowth and Wobbuffet watched her go in silence.

"Wonder why dey're so uptight tonight," Meowth said. Wobbuffet just shrugged and shook his head.

-oOo-

"If I were James, what would I want for Christmas?" Jessie mused to herself as she continued to walk through the forest. She swung her head back and forth as she thought. "Well, you can never go wrong with a few bottle caps or a dress. Maybe even a Magikarp or grass-type."

Jessie was so busy thinking that she jumped when she heard a pokemon cry out in the night. She looked around, eventually finding it perched in a tree, looking at her curiously. It soon jumped out of the tree to get a closer look. Jessie suddenly had an idea, so she crouched down in front of it.

"Hello there. You seem like a nice wild pokemon. A smart one too. I bet you could evolve really quickly if you had a good trainer," she began, praising the pokemon. It puffed out its chest importantly and let out a small cry in agreement. Jessie continued, seeing as how talking to it was working so well. "If only I knew a trainer that would love you and raise you to your full potential," she said, putting a finger to her chin as though thinking. After a short pause for dramatic effect, Jessie exclaimed, "Oh wait! I do know a trainer who would fit that description! Would you like to come with me to meet him?" At the pokemon's nod, she held out a pokeball, and it tapped the button. As it was caught, Jessie stood with an anxious smile.

"I hope James likes it," she said to herself as she headed back to where she had left Meowth and Wobbuffet with a slight spring in her step. She then froze before turning around. "I should at least look for food, otherwise Meowth will suspect something…"

-oOo-

"What could I get Jessie for Christmas?" James pondered as he walked through the forest. He had recently found a path and started following it. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the obstacle in his path until he tripped over it. He fell with a yelp, turning to see what he had tripped over. Surprised, he saw a black-haired boy sitting up in a sleeping bag with a Pikachu. The boy rubbed his eyes before blinking in surprise.

"James? What are you doing here?" he asked with a yawn. Then his gaze sharpened as his brain jumped to a conclusion. "You're not here to steal Pikachu, are you?"

"No, not in the slightest. What are you doing camping out on Christmas Eve, Twerp?" James replied. By now, the boy's two companions had also sat up, having been woken up by James's yelp. One was a redheaded girl and the other was a squinty-eyed, darker-skinned, older boy.

"We got stuck in the snow thanks to Ash's nonexistent sense of direction. We were on our way to visit Pallet Town for Christmas," the redhead said.

"Hey! You or Brock could've taken the map from me if I'm that bad at it, Misty!" Ash complained. Brock gave each of them a look, warning them to not fight now.

"If you're not here for Pikachu, then why are you here?" he asked James, who looked down at the ground, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm looking for a present. For Jessie," he admitted. Both Brock and Misty perked up, interested by this statement. Ash just kept staring at him blankly.

"What were you thinking of getting her?" Misty asked him excitedly. She could smell something slightly fishy about this, since James hadn't mentioned Meowth in needing a present.

"Well… Um… I don't know yet," James said, his face turning slightly pink as he played with some of the snow on the ground.

"What does she like?" Brock asked him. The periwinkle-haired man paused, thinking.

"She likes… Food… And snow… And contests… And pokemon…" he said, listing things on his fingers. Misty frowned.

"If only we had a pear tree or something. That would make a really cute gift," she sighed, resting her head on her hand.

"Why? Pear trees are really big, not cute," Ash said, confused by his friend's statement. Misty glared at him.

"Have you never heard the Twelve Days of Christmas song? The first verse says '_On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a Pidgey in a pear tree_,'" Misty sang. Ash's confusion cleared.

"_Oh_. You mean that kind of cute," he said with a grin. Brock suddenly got out of his sleeping bag and moved to his backpack, looking through it.

"I know I have some in here somewhere," he muttered, pulling out various pots and pans. "Aha!" he shouted straightening up with several somethings in hand. He pulled out a blanket and wrapped them in it before handing it to James. "You said she likes food, right? Then I bet she'll like these," he told James. The man thanked them and apologized to Ash for tripping over him before heading back. Along the way, he broke branches off of various trees for firewood. Before reaching the clearing, he dug a little snow cave and put the bundle into it, hoping nobody would find it. He then entered the clearing, placing the firewood in the middle. Jessie was back already, a few shriveled berries in hand.

"Took you long enough, Jimmy. I didn't tink it would take you dat long to get firewood," Meowth said. James ignored him as he started building the fire. Meowth then lit it by scratching a rock to get a spark and ignite the fire. The trio and Wobbuffet then huddled around the fire for warmth as they shared the shriveled berries that Jessie had found. Slowly, they all drifted off to sleep with their stomachs still growling.

-oOo-

The next morning dawned crisp, clear, and cold. James was the first one awake, and he snuck off to get the bundle Brock had given him the night before. He idly wondered if the twerps had made it to Pallet Town yet, or if they were just waking up. He then sat down in front of the fire, poking the embers to try and coax it back to life. A little bit later, Meowth was the next to wake up. He quickly spotted the bundle in James's lap.

"Wat's dat Jimbo?" he asked eagerly. James continued prodding the fire, choosing to ignore the question. When Meowth grabbed at the bundle, he held it out of the pokemon's reach. By the time Jessie woke up, James was practically lying on the ground with one foot on Meowth's face, one hand holding the bundle as far away from the Scratch Cat Pokemon as possible, and still prodding the fire with his other hand.

"What are you two doing?" she asked them, brushing some stray magenta hairs back into place. Both James and Meowth froze guiltily before sitting down and muttering "Nothing." Jessie glanced towards the bundle they had been fighting over seconds before. "James, what is that?" she asked him. He gave her a little smile while holding it out for her.

"Merry Christmas Jess," he said. Wobbuffet moved closer to his trainer as she untied the bundle, revealing at least a dozen pears. She blinked, surprised by the fresh fruit.

"Where'd you find these James?" she asked, astounded that he had managed to find such fresh fruit in a forest in the middle of winter. James looked abashedly at the ground.

"Um, a little Pidgey helped me find them. Three and a Pikachu to be precise. After finding them, I thought that maybe we could grow an orchard together later on," he said, his face turning slightly pink as he looked up at her. "Do you like it?"

"No," Jessie said seriously, causing James's face to fall before she continued. "I love it. And speaking of Pidgey, I have something for you too." Jessie pulled out a pokeball and handed it to James. He looked up at her questioningly. She answered his unspoken question while staring fixedly at the ground. "I caught it in the forest last night for you." James, his interest piqued, sent out the pokemon inside. A shiny Pidgey came out, looking up at him curiously. James smiled.

"It's beautiful Jessie! Almost as beautiful as you," he said, gently petting its head. He smiled at Jessie, and she smiled back. Meowth snorted at them from where he sat next to Wobbuffet.

"Now all dey need is some mistletoe. What is dis, a Rocketshipping Christmas special?" he asked amusedly. Both Jessie and James glared at him before moving closer together to talk to each other quietly. The Scratch Cat Pokemon sighed and turned to Wobbuffet. "Well, looks like I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas 'cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad," Meowth said, somewhat sadly.

"Wob, Wobbuffet!" the blue pokemon exclaimed with a salute.

(Line-break)

_Gosh, that was harder than I thought. Okay, quick rule before pokemon characters appear: If you haven't been a main character in a chapter, you can't come in. Sorry Ash, Misty, and Brock. You can't appear yet because you were more a way for James to find a present._

James: Well, I'm glad I tripped over the twerp. Otherwise I would've had nothing to give Jessie. But why pears?

_Me: Well… Because Jessie gave you a Pidgey, and you gave her pears… A Pidgey in a Pear Tree…_

Meowth: Dat's pathetic.

_Me: I also added lyrics from a Christmas song on purpose. You can get some virtual candy canes if you can correctly identify it in a review!_

Jessie: I bet it was Misty's singing.

_Me: Actually, no. That one doesn't count because it's part of the overarching story plot. Anything Twelve-Days-of-Christmas doesn't count for this category. Now-_

Erza: If I find it can I have strawberry cake?

_Me: I might be able to find you strawberry candy canes? Maybe cake will come later Erza. Now, before anyone interrup-_

Natsu: I want flaming candy canes!

_Me: What does that have to do with anything!? No, don't answer that. I just wanna finish this! Please review, and the next chapter's coming out tomorrow, no delays! In approximately twenty-four hours, I will post the next story! Although it might be a little off since I'm going on a ten hour long road trip tomorrow without wi-fi. Wolfie out! Peace!_

Happy: Aye sir!


	2. IkariShipping

_Hey-Oh readers! I'm back with the second addition, and I actually posted it on my other profile as well yesterday. Yay for multi-purposing! Okay, two or three things before you read. One: This is a bit of an AU. I'm assuming everyone knows everyone, and they're 8 years old unless they're an adult. Two: I wrote it from Dawn's POV. Tell me if you think I did great and/or horribly. I honestly wanna know what you think. Three: This is about the nativity. If you don't know what it is, go to http(:) (wiki)/Nativity  
>Be sure to take out the ( and ), or it won't work. Oh, by the way, I lied. It's four things: This is Ikarishipping, but very little in my opinion. I mean, they're 8-ish years old, so keep that in mind.<em>

_**On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two Togekiss and a Pidgey in a pear tree.** _

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it! Whose bright idea was it to cast Paul and I as Mary and Joseph!?" I exclaimed angrily as I looked at the cast list for the Christmas play. May looked over my shoulder at the list as she responded.<p>

"Well, I think you two will make a great couple. Much better than Misty and Ash would. Ash would forget his lines, and Misty's too violent for Mary's part," she said. She gasped happily as she saw her part. "I got the angel part!"

"Lucky. I didn't even wanna be Mary! I wanted to be an angel," I complained. Sometimes, it just wasn't fair! I mean, I didn't even like Paul! He's rude, and mean, and quiet, and cu- Um, mean.

"Well, look on the bright side. At least Conway didn't get Joseph," May pointed out. I nodded, sobered.

"That would make it worse than it is now. What part did he get anyways?" I asked, peering at the list.

"I got the Innkeeper part," somebody said from behind me. I jumped with a little shriek before spinning around. I saw the green-haired nerd boy Conway standing there behind me.

"Stop doing that!" I shouted at him, both angry at him and embarrassed by my reaction. I turned and stormed away, still upset. I didn't stop walking until I bumped into somebody. I started apologizing until I looked up and saw who I'd run into. It was none other than Paul Shinji, the rude, mean, cu- I mean, mean boy that had been cast as Joseph with me. "Paul! What are you doing?!" I asked him, surprised and momentarily forgetting my anger.

"Checking the cast list like everyone else in this stupid class," he said, just standing over me with his hands stuffed in his pockets. I scowled at him from the floor as I remembered his part.

"Don't bother. You and I got Mary and Joseph," I told him as I stood up and brushed off my skirt. Paul shrugged and walked away, not even bothering to thank me for telling him. I rolled my eyes and went to find our teacher. I found her talking to Ash, Gary, Mrs. Ketchum, and Professor Oak. I stifled a laugh as I remembered that they had snuck pokemon to school and tried to have a battle during recess, only to have Misty and Leaf tell on them. Ash had actually brought a Pikachu without a pokeball!

When they came out, Mrs. Ketchum smiled at me along with Ash as I walked into the classroom. Mrs. Fiore looked up from the papers she was sorting and smiled at me.

"Hello Dawn. What can I do for you?" she asked. I nervously scuffed the ground with my toe as I answered her.

"Well, I was wondering why you chose me and Paul to be Mary and Joseph," I said.

"I just thought that you two would fit the parts well," Mrs. Fiore said before glancing out the door and waving me closer. As I approached, she whispered something else to me. "Also, somebody asked me to do that."

"Really? Who?" I asked her, intrigued by that fact. She just put a finger to her lips and winked at me. I left the room with even more questions than I had entered with, a slight pout on my face.

-oOo-

"...And then she wouldn't say anything else about it!" I said, finishing my story. I'd been telling May, Leaf, and Misty what had happened during my talk with our teacher. It turned out that May was the angel that appeared to Mary, while Misty was a shepherd and Leaf the angel who would appear to the shepherds. Drew, Ash, and Gary would be the three Wise Men.

"Really? I wonder who could've explicitly asked for you and Paul to be Mary and Joseph," Leaf said. She'd always been the brainy one of us three. I shrugged at her, sighing.

"I guess I'll just have to live with it," I said. We were walking down the street from our bus stop towards home. A thought popped into my head. "What are we doing for the Baby Jesus and the star?"

"They'll probably do a baby doll as Jesus," Misty pointed out. We all nodded in agreement. "As for the star, it's probably some light-up thing."

"Probably. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school!" I said, waving goodbye as we approached my house. As I walked in, I slammed the door and called out "I'm home Mom!"

"How was your day today, Dawn?" Mom asked, looking through the kitchen doorway as she dried her hands. I threw my yellow backpack into a corner as Piplup and Togetic came rushing towards me and I moved towards the kitchen.

"It was okay. We found out who's what in the Christmas play," I said, sitting down on a barstool at the counter. I picked up Piplup and sat him in my lap while Togetic landed on my head. Someday, I was gonna evolve her into a Togekiss and perform in contests with her, just you wait.

"Really? What part did you and your friends get?" Mom started cutting an apple for me, just like she did every day. It was part of our routine. She made an after-school snack, and I told her about my day.

"Well, May and Leaf are angels, Misty's a shepherd, and I got Mary," I said proudly. Then my face fell as I remembered Paul. Mom didn't notice because she doesn't look up when using a knife.

"You got Mary? Who's Joseph then?" I knew she'd ask that, and I didn't really wanna answer, so I just mumbled the answer under my breath. Mom stopped cutting and looked up at me. "Who?"

"Paul," I said, looking away. "Mrs. Fiore said that somebody requested that we be Mary and Joseph, but she wouldn't say who." Mom finished cutting the apple, and smiled knowingly as she handed it to me.

"I think I may have a guess who," she told me.

"Really? Who?" I asked eagerly. Mom just laughed softly.

"I think that's something you should figure out yourself," she said, turning to wash off the knife.

-oOo-

After several practices, it was finally time to perform the play. Mom had ended up making the costumes for everyone, and they were just beautiful! But what really excited me was that we weren't using a doll for the Baby Jesus! Somebody was actually letting their little baby be Jesus, and I would get to hold it!

As the play started, I knelt on the stage, pretending to draw water up from a well. As I stood, I saw May, wearing a pure white dress with sheer bell sleeves and pristine white wings. I gasped, dropping the bucket, which somebody had filled with actual water that spilled all over the stage. I quickly stood to keep the white linen dress I wore from getting all wet. May held out a hand, as if to stop me from leaving.

"Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God," she said. I clutched my baby blue shawl around me as she continued. "Behold, you shall have a son, and his name will be Jesus. He will be great, and will rule forever."

"How can this be, when I'm not married?" I asked. I was impressed that May had remembered all her lines, and almost smiled (which would be out of character) as she continued.

"Through the power of God, everything is possible," May said simply. I bowed my head in acceptance, and the curtains closed for a scene change. I ran off stage, careful not to slip on the water. I passed Paul, who was walking towards the stage for the next scene. The people backstage moved fast, even managing to clean up the water spill. I stood and watched the next scene backstage next to May. As we watched, Lyra 'appeared' to tell Paul the news of Jesus' birth. Then Mom pulled me away to get ready for the next scene, the one in Bethlehem.

I came back just as the curtains closed for the next scene change. I was slightly surprised as somebody sent out a Ponyta before I was lifted onto its back. Then Paul grabbed the bridle and led it out on stage as the narrator (believe it or not, Barry) started talking again. He approached the fake inn door and knocked. Conway opened the door and looked at us, dressed in a long red tunic with a brown robe over it.

"Do you have room? My wife is about to give birth," Paul said. I blinked because I was pretty sure the actual line was a lot more intricate. Then again, this is Paul, and he'd come to two practices at most.

"No, we're full," Conway announced, going to shut the door. Paul stopped him, holding the door open.

"There's _nowhere_ we can stay?" he insisted. I felt kinda helpless there on the restless Ponyta as Conway and Paul silently argued. Finally, Conway opened the door wider and came out.

"There's room in the stables, if you are really that desperate," he sighed, motioning for Paul to follow as he walked around the corner of the inn wall. Paul led the Ponyta after Conway silently as the curtain once again fell. I hopped off of the fire horse pokemon and moved backstage with Paul and Conway following. Both of them stood by me as the Ponyta was led away and Ash, Gary, and Drew walked by in their fancy capes, robes, and crowns. All three held little chests, their gifts for the baby king. My cousin Lucas also walked past, dressed in even fancier clothes than the three 'Wise Men.' He strutted past, pretending to be conceited and pompous. As I laughed at him, he winked and continued swaggering toward the throne that was part of the next scene.

I watched as Gary explained the reason they were there in front of the king before Ash asked where the King of the Jews was born so they could go worship him. After consulting his scribes and priests, Lucas announced that the King was born in Bethlehem, telling them to tell him where he was exactly so that he too may worship. Drew thanked him and left with Gary and Ash. As soon as they were off stage, Lucas expressed his true desires to kill the 'usurping king.' I have to admit, he played a convincing evil king. Then the curtains closed, and Lucas strutted backstage again, still acting like a conceited king.

Between the two scenes, Mom had me change costume again to get rid of what she called the 'baby bump.' I got back just as the scene in the fields began. Misty and the other shepherds sat or stood onstage, along with a couple Mareep. I smiled as Leaf walked onstage and any of the sitting shepherds, Misty included, quickly shot to their feet.

"Fear not, for I bring good news," Leaf said, signaling for the shepherds to stay put. As they looked on warily, she continued. "Today in Bethlehem, the Savior is born. You will find the baby bundled up with a manger for a bed." At this point in time, several other kids, all dressed as angels, came out singing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful." After the song was finished, the angels departed, leaving the shepherds discussing what to do.

"Let's go to Bethlehem and see the holy baby!" Misty announced, and the others nodded, following her offstage as the curtains closed for the final set change. Once they were done, I sat down against a pile of hay as the baby was gently placed in my arms. I held it carefully as Paul sat next to me, putting one arm around my shoulder. As the curtains open, I just stared at the little bitty thing sleeping in my arms.

As the shepherds arrived, I tore my gaze from the bundle I held to greet them with a smile. Misty smiled back, falling to her knees in front of me with the other shepherds following suit. Soon after, Ash, Gary, and Drew came in, resplendent in their gold-trimmed capes and shiny crowns. Gary came over first, getting down on one knee in a proposal position as he opened the chest he held.

"To the king of all, I present a gift of gold," he said, setting down the chest in front of me. Then he stood and backed away so that Drew could do the same with his gift of myrrh. Then Ash knelt and gave a genuine grin to me and the baby in my arms as he opened the chest. When he announced his gift, he stumbled over the word frankincense before leaving the gift and backing away.

As the angel choir came out to sing "Silent Night," I realized how comfortable it was sitting next to Paul with the baby in my arms. It almost felt like we were a real family. As the song ended and the curtain started to close for the last time, I looked up and smiled at Paul. I swear that he gave the tiniest smile in return before standing up. When somebody took the baby from my arms, Paul helped me stand up. As I met his eyes, I had a sudden idea. I quickly ran backstage to change out of my costume and find somethings special, leaving Paul just standing there alone.

-oOo-

I couldn't believe my luck, but I found what I was looking for. I gave it to Leaf and Misty with explicit instructions on what to do with it. Then I ran to find Paul. I found him about to leave, wearing a purple ski jacket.

"Paul!" I called, causing him to turn. He raised one eyebrow as I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him towards a different door.

"What?" he asked me. I frowned at him, giving another tug to his arm.

"C'mon! I wanna talk to you a bit!" I said. Paul shrugged and let me pull him along, through another door into the little school courtyard. When we were under the pear tree, I spun to face him, a smile on my face. "You were the one that requested for us to be Mary and Joseph, right?" I asked. Paul stared at me, his expression unreadable in the darkness.

"What if it was?" he replied. I simply leaned in on my tiptoes and pecked his cheek.

"Then thank you," I said, pointing upwards before running back inside. I glanced over my shoulder as I did, seeing Paul look up into the tree branches and spying the mistletoe I'd found among the various props and had Misty and Leaf place for this very reason. I paused in the doorway and waved at Paul, calling "Merry Christmas Paul!" He simply raised one hand before walking towards a different door. I went to meet Mom with a broad on my face and a spring in my step. She looked at me curiously.

"You look happy," Mom said wryly. I looked up at her and shrugged.

"It's not Christmas every day," I said before turning and walking towards the door, leaving Mom to follow.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, I hid lyrics in there again. Since it's from some obscure song I didn't know, I'll just tell you: it's Mary and Joseph by Tim McGraw. If you can find where I hid the lyrics, tell me in a review!<em>

Dawn: You need to stop bumming for reviews!

_Wolfie: How else am I supposed to get them then?_

James: Hard work and perseverance!

Jessie: I can't believe you said that. It's so... Good and cheesy.

Meowth: At least it wasn't you dat said it Jess.

Jessie: Good point.

_Wolfie: STOP HIJACKING MY A/N! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE MY THING!_

Paul: In all fairness, you're the one writing us in.

_Wolfie: Touche. Well, review and tell me how good/bad/horribly I did! I'm gonna try to close this before anybody from Fairy Ta-_

Erza: There wasn't enough romance.

_Wolfie: Too late. Oh well. I'm gonna go do something else. Wolfie out. Peace. *Muttering to self: All these characters can be such **bakas**.*_

Happy: Aye sir! _*Wolfie face-palms*_


	3. Contestshipping

_Okay, before anything else, I wanna say that I know I'm late and I'm very sorry. I just got caught up in other things and forgot to post this, and I left my laptop at my grandparents' house when I walked down to my cousins' house, and it was pretty much midnight, and then I had church this morning, so sue me for it being late. JK, don't actually sue me. But I'll try to do a double update today or tomorrow. Now I'm just gonna stop talking and let you read._

**_On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three Combuskin, two Togekiss, and a Pidgey in a pear tree._**

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful, if cold, day in Petalburg City. But the chill was nothing a warm coat and a cup of cocoa couldn't fix. It was a few days before Christmas, one of May Maple's favorite holidays, tied with Thanksgiving and Halloween. She was currently walking through the town, happily humming some of her favorite Christmas carols. She walked into the Pokemon Center with a huge smile on her face as she approached Nurse Joy.<p>

"Hello Nurse Joy. Is Drew Hayden here?" May asked. Nurse Joy gave her a knowing smile after glancing behind the brunette. May noticed neither of these actions as she eagerly awaited the woman's answer.

"Yes, he is. In fact, he just reserved himself a room about ten minutes ago," she told the teenage girl. As May opened her mouth to undoubtedly ask what room he was in, somebody tapped her left shoulder. She quickly turned that way, only to find nobody there. She continued to look for whoever had tapped her when she noticed something bright green out of the corner of her eye. When the hand touched her right shoulder, she grabbed it and spun to face the green-haired boy.

"Drew!" she cried, hugging him. After a moment, he returned the embrace. When they pulled apart, May kept hold of Drew's hands with her grin now even bigger than before, if that were possible. "You made it!" she cried happily. Drew smirked at her.

"Wouldn't miss my first Christmas with my girlfriend," he said teasingly. May rolled her eyes at his tone before pulling him towards the doors of the Pokemon Center.

"C'mon! My whole family's in town for Christmas, and I wanna introduce you!" she said excitedly as she pulled him through the streets of Petalburg. Drew just rolled his eyes and let May pull him along. They soon reached May's home near the Petalburg Gym, and she led him quietly through the back door. Silently, the crept through the Maples' kitchen towards their living room, where May's extended family was. Peeking through the doorway, both May and Drew saw several people chatting, completely unaware that the two teenagers were watching. Across the room from them, Max glanced up and met their eyes before smirking and turning away. Surprisingly, it wasn't Max that gave them away, but the giggle that escaped May, who flushed as everybody's eyes shifted two both her and Drew.

"May!" they exclaimed happily before they spotted Drew, who was slightly behind the brunette in the shadows. The first person to notice was a girl who looked a few years older than May with a navy blue pixie cut and amethyst eyes. Immediately, a smirk appeared on her face as she made a quick assumption.

"May-May, is this your boyfriend?" she asked slyly. When May nodded, mute a red-faced, the girl's eyes widened in fake astonishment. "Really? I thought you made him up."

"I assure you, I'm quite real," Drew said, coming to lean against the doorframe on the side opposite May, his arms crossed nonchalantly. After looking him up and down, the girl walked over and shook his hand.

"I'm Jojo, May's cousin. Nice to meet you May's not-fake boyfriend," she said as May glowered at her. Jojo then turned and pointed to the others in the room. "That's my little brother Sam, (he's a bit wild,) that's my dad Nick, (he's a lot of fun, for a dad,) that's my mom Jenna, (as her daughter, I recommend that you stay on her good side,) that's Grandma Sarah, (she's a cheek pincher, so beware that,) that's Auntie Lucy, (she never got married,) and that's Grandpa Alther. (He's so old, he's practically a ghost.)" As Jojo introduced each person, they either nodded or waved at Drew, though they didn't hear Jojo's commentary on them. After she finished the introductions, May's cousin turned to him. "So what's your name? Or should I just keep calling you May's not-fake boyfriend?" It was then that May regained her voice to answer for Drew.

"This is Drew Hayden, my absolutely _real_ boyfriend," she said, glaring at Jojo, who just grinned back. Huffing, May pulled Drew towards the end of the sofa where Jojo had sat earlier. Smirking, Drew swept May into his arms and sat with her on his lap, causing May's cheeks to flame a vibrant red. Grandma Sarah leaned towards the two of them as Jojo pulled a chair out of the kitchen and sat in it backwards.

"Say, where are you from Drew?" she asked him curiously. Drew glanced over at Norman before he answered, noting the slightly wary stare he was sending his way.

"I'm from LaRousse City," Drew said, turning his attention to May's grandmother rather than her father. He answered every question they flung his way, including Jojo's question about how he hadn't broken up with May yet. Caroline excused herself to go start the dinner, and quickly announced that it was ready. Drew stood up after May got off of his lap.

"I should probably be going then. I don't want to intrude upon your dinner together," he said politely.

"Nonsense! You're practically family now, what with being little May's boyfriend," May's grandfather Alther insisted. As Drew opened his mouth to protest, Jojo grabbed his arm and May's, pulling them towards the kitchen and sitting them next to each other with no time to argue. Together, they endured the teasing, fawning, and straight-out questions. Eventually, Max and Sam got fed up by the lack of attention on them and saved the couple by beginning to brag about their newest pokemon. The rest of dinner passed by quickly, and soon it was time for Drew to leave.

"It's been nice to meet you all," Drew said to the extended Maple family.

"Come back tomorrow! We're not done torturing you," Jojo said, opening the door. Outside, a light snow had begun falling.

"Are you sure you know the way to the Pokemon Center?" May's grandmother fretted. Drew paused, pretending to think.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have a guide since I'm not too familiar with Petalburg City," he hinted, glancing at May. She blinked before smiling.

"I'll show you the way!" she offered, pushing her way to the door before anyone could stop her. As her dad opened his mouth to say something, she waved at him. "I promise I'll be back soon Dad! Don't worry!" With that, she pulled Drew outside and slammed the door shut.

"Five bucks says she takes at least an hour," Jojo said as soon as the door closed. Norman glared at her, but she didn't pay any attention.

"I'll take you up on that bet," Sam said, shaking his sister's hand.

"She didn't even take a coat. I hope she gets back before the snow gets worse," Caroline said, looking outside worriedly, seeing May pull Drew farther down the street.

-oOo-

It turned out that Jojo was gonna be winning the bet with her brother after all. May decided to take Drew on the scenic route, oblivious to the cold, and when they arrived at the Pokemon Center, she spent some time with Drew in front of the fire. By the time she got up to leave, the light snowfall had become more of a raging blizzard. She shuddered at the thought of leaving, but turned to say goodbye anyways. Suddenly, the lights went out, leaving the fire in the hearth the only source of light.

"I'd better be going," May said, ignoring the raging winds outside.

"You can't go out there. It's probably below freezing and you don't even have a coat," Drew argued.

"I'll be fine. You're just overreacting. I mean, I braved worse with Ash."

"I somehow doubt that."

"Mom's gonna worry about me."

"She'll probably be more worried if you come home sick."

"Dad's not gonna be happy."

"And he'll kill me if I let you go out there and catch your death. C'mon and sit by the fire again." Drew started pulling May towards the fire and sat her on the couch.

"But I've gotta go!" she protested.

"Look out the window at that storm. I doubt you'd last five minutes," Drew pointed out. May huffed and crossed her arms.

"Thanks for the faith. Jojo'll get suspicious and tease me about this!"

"Just ignore her. That's what I'd do if my sister were bugging me."

"You have a sister?" May asked, looking at Drew in surprise.

"Topic for another time," he replied, avoiding her gaze. He knew that if he went into detail, it would lead to questions about why he wasn't spending time with family for the holidays.

"Well, Max'll be waiting for me at the door. You know what a pest he'll be in the morning," May said, relenting to change the topic. But she'd have to remember to get back to this topic later.

"I'll deal with him then. He's not that bad."

"You know what'll be even worse? My Aunt Lucy. Her mind'll jump to the worst conclusion, assuming… You know…" May trailed off, her face gleaming red in the firelight. Drew's face grew red as well as he understood her statement.

"I've never seen a blizzard like this in Hoenn before," Drew said, deliberately changing the subject.

"Neither have I, except maybe that one time years ago, when I was 8 or 9. The funny part was that it was in the middle of summer," May said, happily changing the subject.

"Oh, I remember that. It sure made Abby happy."

"Who?"

"My little sister."

"Oh, the one you were talking about earlier."

"Yeah. But we can talk about that later." May glanced over, deciding to use his reluctance to discuss family to her advantage.

"You're right. I've gotta get home now."

"You'll freeze to death if you go out there."

"Then let me use your coat. It'll keep me warm."

"The snow'd be up to your knees, and you're still wearing shorts despite it being the middle of winter."

"I don't get cold easily."

"It's like you have a personal heater inside of you," Drew said, pulling May onto his lap.

"Hey!" she shouted, struggling to get off. Drew just laughed and kept his arms locked around her waist until she stopped struggling. "Lemme go Drew. You're cold."

"Do you promise not to leave?"

"If I don't go, then everybody will be talking about us."

"I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is the idea that if you go outside, you could catch pneumonia and die. So I'll just hold you hostage until you promise to stay."

"That's not fair," May pouted, turning to face Drew. He just smirked at her before standing up, his arms still wrapped around her waist. He quickly shifted her into bridal style as he walked towards the back of the Pokemon Center where the rooms for trainers were located. "Hey! Where are we going?!" May exclaimed, instinctively grabbing onto Drew's neck after her position was changed.

"Well, since I'm not letting you out into the storm and Nurse Joy is probably asleep, seeing as how its-" Drew glanced at the poketch on his wrist, "-past midnight, you get to spend the night in my room," he told her.

"How do you know I won't just run away after you fall asleep," May challenged. Drew cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, I was thinking of letting you use the other bed in my room, but we can share one if I have to stop you," he suggested. May blushed. As they reached his room, he dumped her on one of the beds.

"I don't have any pajamas, and it's uncomfortable to sleep in this," she said in a last-ditch attempt to make him let her go back to her house. It didn't work, seeing as how he went over to his backpack and pulled out a t-shirt, which he threw to her.

"You can wear that. I also have a spare pair of pajama pants if you'd like those too," he said. May shook her head. Drew pulled out a pair of pajamas for himself and turned his back to give May privacy, although he was still facing the door. With a resigned sigh, May quickly changed into the t-shirt, leaving on her biker shorts, and lay down on one bed. A few seconds later, she heard Drew lay on the other one. After a few minutes, she got out of the bed to see if Drew was asleep. She let out a little shriek as the green-haired boy grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed with him. "It's cold in here," he said, smirking as he opened one emerald green eye.

"Shut up," May muttered, glaring at him half-heartedly as she tried to push him away, but to no avail.

"Checking to see if I'm asleep?" Drew asked her as he rolled over so she was between him and the wall on his bed. He gave her a wounded look. "Were you going to try and sneak out?"

"Maybe," May admitted. Drew smiled at her.

"I bet your family figured you decided to spend the night here by now. I mean, it's at least half past midnight," he said. As May pouted, Drew gave her a quick kiss. "Better?" he asked.

"A little," May said, the corners of her mouth beginning to curl up into a smile. "But I still feel kinda upset."

"Then let's see if I can make you feel better," Drew said, kissing her again as the snow fell softly outside.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, I'm pissed off because I had more, and it disappeared on my google docs. Oh well, at least this way you can decide what you want to happen next.<em>

May: What do you mean by that?

_Wolfie: It means- You know what? I'm not gonna tell you since I don't wanna ruin your innocence. If you really wanna know, ask you parents. Or Jojo. She'd tell you._

Drew: I think that you should wait to ask. Your innocence is one of your best qualities.

_Wolfie: And I think Jojo (Who is a completely made-up OC alongside all of May's other family besides Norman, Caroline, and Max,) would be **way** too willing to destroy your innocence. So just ignore those above comments made, May. I don't plan to write scenes like that because they make me slightly uncomfortable._

Jessie: You and the twerps both. Maybe even James.

Meowth: So you're saying dat only me and you would be able to read dat kinda stuff and be okay wit it?

Jessie: Yes.

Meowth: Okay, I kinda agree wit dat.

Erza: I would be able to read that as well.

_Wolfie: Erza, we all know you like the dirty stuff. We don't need you to tell us that- Wait, when did you get in here?_

Erza: Your door was open.

_Wolfie: *Sweatdrops* I'm not in my room... Well, I'm sorry that I didn't post this yesterday. I totally spaced on it. This was more based off of a song, and I personally don't think it will be too hard to figure it out. Please review, and excuse me while I work on getting you a double update within the next 48 hours. Wolfie out. Peace!_

Happy: Aye sir! *Gets smacked upside head by Wolfie using Misty's mallet*

_Wolfie: Sorry, you doing that every chapter started getting annoying._


	4. PokeShipping

_I bet this is the one at least 20% of you were waiting for: Pokeshipping! Quick note before I start anything else: Ash and Misty are probably around 15/16, so Ash has matured. Well, only a little bit. Can't think of anything else to bother you with, so I'll just let you read._

**_On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me four calling Spearow, three Combusken, two Togekiss, and a Pidgey in a pear tree._**

* * *

><p>It was a snowy Christmas Eve in Pallet Town, and there was a party going on up at Professor Oak's Laboratory despite it being the dead of night. Gary Oak was the host, and had invited a host of people. He had even invited Team Rocket at Ash's surprising request. Aside from Team Rocket, Pike Queen Lucy, Brock, Tracey, Daisy, Cilan, Solidad, and Harley, everybody was under the age of 17.<p>

Misty was walking through the crowded main room, looking for a certain somebody with her Togetic floating along overhead. A couple boys had approached her, but she'd brushed them off. She had just about given up on finding him when she spotted a red and white baseball cap on the far side of the room along with a Pikachu. She smiled and started pushing her way through the crowd towards the Pikachu. Glancing upwards slightly, she spotted an iconic plant hanging over his head with three spiky leaves and bright red berries. When she was less than a yard away, she heard the hat-wearing boy say something.

"Man, there are a lot of people here at this party Pikachu. Wait, there are Christmas cookies!? Let's get some Pikachu!" he shouted. As he moved out from under the mistletoe, Misty approached him.

"Hi Ash," she said, stepping in front of him. The black-haired boy grinned at her while Togetic greeted Pikachu.

"Oh, hi Mist. I didn't know you were here," he said. Misty's smile faltered a little at that statement, but didn't vanish.

"This is a great party, huh Ash?" she asked him. Ash nodded, looking out at the crowd.

"Yep. It's pretty big though. I don't know half the people here. Pikachu and I were on our way to get some food though," he told Misty. She let out a quick laugh at his usual appetite before changing the subject.

"Did you see Nurse Joy here?" she asked, having spotted the pink-haired nurse earlier.

"Mm-hm. Officer Jenny too. Maybe you should tell Brock," Ash said teasingly. Misty pulled a face at his suggestion.

"I'd rather let them enjoy the party, and I don't wanna force that job upon Max, Croagunk, and I. Besides, I kinda want him to score with Lucy. She seems really nice," she said honestly.

"Yeah. Anyways, do you think we could squeeze past you? We're pretty hungry," Ash said, gesturing to himself and Pikachu. Misty blinked, having slightly forgotten the original reason Ash had moved.

"Sure. Lemme just- Okay- Um- Ah!" The two tried to move around each other, caught as they were between a wall and the thick crowd. Misty tripped, falling forward into Ash. He caught her, helping her stand before waving and moving off towards the refreshment table with Pikachu. Misty sighed, watching as he walked away.

"Maybe this Christmas, I might let him know," she whispered to herself as she stood alone on the outskirts of the crowd.

-oOo-

"Man, I'm glad nobody caught me under the mistletoe. Though that one pink-haired girl came close," Ash said to Pikachu as he filled a plate with one or two dozen Christmas cookies.

"If you didn't wanna be caught under the mistletoe, then why would you stand underneath it?" somebody asked from behind the aspiring pokemon master, causing him to jump. He turned around, seeing May standing behind him, head cocked to the side.

"May! I thought you were dancing with Drew," Ash said, having seen the brunette with her green-haired boyfriend on the dance floor.

"I was, but I came to get some punch and Christmas cookies while he went to the bathroom," she answered before frowning. "But that didn't answer my question. Why were you standing under the mistletoe if you didn't wanna be caught there?"

"I, uh, didn't realize it?" Ash said, sounding unsure of his answer. May looked at him carefully, noting his cheeks had gone slightly pink. She grinned.

"You _did_ want to meet someone under the mistletoe!" she accused him. Ash recoiled, eyes widening.

"N-no way! Not in a million years," he quickly denied, shaking his head vigorously. May giggled.

"Whatever you say Ash. But tell Misty she's looking good in that red fur-lined dress if you wanna get her under the mistletoe with you," she said before grabbing some cookies and running back towards the dance floor where Drew was watching them with a smirk on his face. He inclined his head towards Ash's left, and when the black-haired boy looked that way, he saw Misty talking to another boy. He turned to glare at Drew, only to see he was dancing with May.

"Why does everybody seem to be trying to matchmake me and Misty?" Ash complained to Pikachu as he walked away from the refreshment table eating his cookies.

"Pika Pikapi chupi Pikachupi," the electric mouse said, putting his front paws together before grabbing a cookie.

"I do not!" Ash shouted, his face turning pink again. Pikachu just laughed as he ate his cookie.

-oOo-

Ten or so minutes after Misty had run into Ash, she was looking around. She laughed as she spotted Brock trying to decide whether to stay with Lucy or go over to where Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy were. She drew his attention and pantomimed that she would give him pain if he went flirting with Jenny and Joy. He gave her a pained smile and asked Lucy if she wanted to dance. As they went out onto the dance floor, Misty spotted Ash, who was standing under the mistletoe again while talking animatedly to Pikachu.

"No way," she breathed, staring at the ignorant boy as a smile bloomed on her face. She quickly made her way towards him, pushing through the crowd. "Hi Ash," she said happily, making the boy jump before turning around. "Did you get enough cookies?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I did," Ash said, giving Misty a big grin. Pikachu hopped over onto the redhead's shoulder

"So, uh, did you realize that we're standing under the mistletoe?" she asked, pointing upwards.

"Huh?" he said, looking upwards. As he spotted the plant, overhead, his eyes widened. "Crap!" he shouted before running away.

"Where are you going Ash!?" Misty called after him.

"I'm just, uh, getting some Christmas cookies!" he said over his shoulder.

"You just got some Ash!" Misty said, stomping one foot angrily.

"I know that! I want more! C'mon Pikachu!" Ash replied, bouncing in place as he waited for his pokemon partner, who was still perched on the redhead's shoulder.

"Do you know what's wrong with him Pikachu?" Misty asked the yellow mouse.

"Pika chupi Pikapi," he responded, shrugging. Ash rolled his eyes at their conversation, jogging towards the back door backwards.

"Very funny Pikachu!" he said. Misty's eyes widened as she realized where he was headed.

"Ash! Look out for the-" She winced as he ran into the refreshment table, knocking it over and spilling punch all over himself. "Never mind!"

-oOo-

"Why couldn't I have just manned up and done it?" Ash asked himself as he sat in his front yard underneath his mother's pear tree. He had left Pikachu curled up next to Misty and Togetic in the guest room last night after the party while he went to his own bedroom and lay awake in his own bed. The two of them had walked back to his house after he'd been soaked in punch so he could change, and his mother had insisted they stay for the rest of the night. He jumped as he heard a Spearow calling from somewhere nearby. He turned as he heard laughter from the doorway, spotting his red-haired friend. "What's so funny?" he asked, giving her a half-hearted glare.

"Nothing. I just find it funny that you're scared of a little Spearow," Misty teased him, taking a seat next to him.

"I have reason to be scared of them," Ash said defensively. Misty rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. What're you thinking about?" she asked him. As he gave her a questioning look, she smiled. "I know your thinking look, and it's on your face right now," she said, answering his unspoken question before nudging him. "We both know if you think too hard on something your head is likely to explode from overworking. Now spill."

"I'm thinking about last night," Ash said, relenting to Misty's teasing.

"What about last night?" she asked. Ash looked away, his cheeks taking on the faintest tint of pink.

"Um, that part right before we walked back to my house," he said.

"Oh, when you ran away from the mistletoe and got soaked by the punch?" Misty summarized.

"Close enough," Ash said, shrugging.

"Why did you run away? Was it because you didn't wanna kiss me?" Misty asked, not looking at the black-haired boy on her right.

"No, not that," he said, playing with a twig he'd picked up off of the ground. Misty sat silently, waiting for Ash to elaborate. But when he didn't she turned and looked at him.

"Then why? If it wasn't that you didn't want to kiss me, then why did you run away?" Misty demanded. A tense silence followed as Misty waited for his answer.

"Because…" Ash paused, unsure of how to phrase his answer. "I… I don't think I was ready to."

"What?" Misty asked, both confused and surprised. Ash took a deep breath, steeling his nerves.

"I wasn't ready. You surprised me, and I just couldn't do it," he said, finally turning to look Misty in the eye. "I was standing there waiting for you, but when you actually came up to me, I couldn't."

"So… Are you saying you like me?" Misty asked, her cheeks pink, though Ash couldn't tell whether it was from the cold or a different reason.

"I... I guess so," Ash admitted, looking away again. As they heard snickers from above them in the tree, Misty and Ash looked up to see both Pikachu and Togetic above them, holding a sprig of mistletoe each.

"Pikapi! Pikachupi!" Pikachu called down to them.

"Toge toge!" Togetic finished. Both Ash and Misty blushed, before looking at each other.

"...Do you…?" Ash asked. Misty shrugged.

"Do you?" she asked. Ash shrugged, causing Misty to sigh. The redhead then proceeded to grab the front of Ash's shirt and press her lips to his. Ash stiffened before relaxing and pulling Misty closer. As the two teenagers made out below them, Pikachu and Togetic shared a high five.

"Ash? Misty? Are you-" Delia stopped mid-sentence as she spotted the two under the tree. She smiled, shaking her head. "I knew it would happen sooner or later," she said before gesturing for Togetic and Pikachu to come inside with her, Ash and Misty oblivious to her presence even after she shut the door.

* * *

><p><em>What did you all think? Tell me in a review. I'm sorry that this is two days late, I promise I'll get working faster on posting the other two.<em>

Misty: Are you gonna tell them that you're writing these as you go?

_Wolfie: Sh! That's a secret!_

Ash: Not anymore. Misty already told them.

_Wolfie: Crap. Okay, she might be telling the truth. **Might.**_

Drew: That's her way of saying it is the truth.

_Wolfie: Misty, can I borrow your mallet?_

Misty: No.

_Wolfie: Aw, c'mon! I actually asked this time!_

Misty: Get your own mallet!

_Wolfie: That's actually a good idea. Then I can cause my brothers pain... To the supermarket! *Runs out door*_

Dawn: Okay, since she ran out, I guess I'll finish for her?

May: I wanna help too!

Erza: I shall help as well!

Jessie: Well, I guess I can't let you have all the fun.

Meowth: Aye sir!

Happy: Hey! That's my line!

Meowth: But I said it better.

Happy: Did not!

Misty: Ladies, you're both beautiful. Now get out.

Dawn: Now I see why Wolfie hates this so much...

May: Yeah... Anyways, review and look forward for a possible double or even triple update today!

Dawn&May: Dawn and May out! Peace!

Meowth&Happy: Aye sir! See, I'm better at it. *Get hit by Misty and Erza with matching mallets*


	5. LeafGreenShipping

_Happy New Years'! I'm late again, but this is definitely my favorite chapter to write so far. It's Leafgreenshipping people! Gary and Leaf are really fun to write. Especially when they're either picking on Ash or fighting. I'm so mean to my characters, aren't I? But they'll get a happy ending today, I promise. I'm gonna stop talking, partially because I don't know what to say._

**_On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five golden rings, four calling Spearow, three Combusken, two Togekiss, and a Pidgey in a pear tree._**

* * *

><p>It was a snowy winter day in Pallet Town, which was celebrating their fifth annual Winter Festival. Delia Ketchum had come up with the idea, partially as a way to try and bring the traveling trainers back home for the Christmas season. Twinleaf Town's festival seemed to work pretty well anyways, so why not have one in Pallet Town as well?<p>

Most people in town had wholeheartedly supported it and set up booths in the streets to help Delia out the first year. Leaf had been quite surprised when she came home for Christmas at age 20, expecting a quiet Christmas celebration with her father at home, only to find a full-blown festival. Of course, she had happily participated despite nearly being a full-blown adult. She managed to win at almost every single game booth that first year. The only one she couldn't quite win was a ring toss. It was as though she couldn't aim just right. Frustrated, she turned to walk away, but guess who she happened to run into less than two yards away from the booth.

"Hey Leafy," Gary said, smirking at her. "What's wrong?

"Nothing. At least, not until you showed up," she replied, her mood shifting from frustrated to angry. Of course, the junior pokemon professor just _happened_ to spot her tracks in the snow that led from the ring toss booth. Leaf watched as his smirk grew, and stormed past him, knowing that he was going to tease her about what how she had undoubtedly been incompetent enough to be unable to win. She then managed to avoid Gary for the rest of the day, ending up in a happier mood as she helped her dad sell Christmas treats to the little kids of Pallet Town.

Less than a week later, on Christmas morning, Leaf went to answer the door. As she opened it, she found a lone package on the doorstep with a note on top. Picking it up, she saw that it read '_To Leaf.'_ She opened the box, pulling out a stuffed Pidgey that held a fake pear branch in its beak. It was the prize from the ring toss booth. A note hung from the branch, and Leaf looked at that next.

'_I hope you like your Pidgey prize Leafy. But I thought you were ornithophobic.  
>Smell ya later!<br>-Gary'_

-oOo-

The next year, 21-year-old Leaf Green decided she was too old for the little kiddie games. Instead, she decided to spend her time looking at the vendors' trinkets. Delia had done well, convincing a few out-of-town vendors to come sell at the festival. As she inspected a pair of charms, she heard somebody familiar call her name behind her. She sighed, putting down the charms and turning around. Across the way and a few tents down, she saw the insufferable Gary Oak. She laughed as she saw his outfit: a velvet green jacket, red and white striped tights, a floppy green cap, and ridiculous pointy-toed shoes with curled up toes. He even had little bells on the toes of his shoes. The best part was that he was leaning against a tentpole, trying to look cool in it.

"For Mew's sake, what are you wearing?" Leaf asked after she got over her laughing fit. Gary glanced down at his outfit and shrugged.

"Gramps is running 'Santa's Grotto' for the little kids, and he forced Tracey and me to be his elves. But on the bright side, chics dig a man in tights," he said. Leaf laughed again and rolled her eyes.

"I think you mean a man in spandex Oak," she corrected. Gary paused, thinking, before shaking his head.

"Nope. Superman wore tights, not spandex." Leaf frowned at him.

"But Spiderman wore spandex," she said. Gary snorted.

"Spiderman's nothing. Superman would win in a fight with his hands tied behind his back," he told her.

"Not if Spiderman had kryptonite. And judging by how often his enemies come by it, Spiderman probably wouldn't have too much trouble finding a chunk of it," Leaf argued. This led to a full-blown fight about what superheroes would beat each other. It lasted for a while before Tracey called for help from inside the tent, where he was dealing with the line of hyperactive toddlers. As Gary excused himself, Leaf walked off to continue browsing. But not before yelling "Wonder Woman would kick all of their butts no matter what!"

Come Christmas day, there was a knock at the door of the Green residence around noon. Leaf went to open it, finding herself face-to-face with Gary, who held something behind his back. He smirked at her as he grabbed one of her hands and pressed something small into it. Looking down at it, she saw that it was one of the two Togekiss charms she'd been looking at before Gary called her over at the Winter Festival. She looked up at him as he pulled out his pokedex, which he had attached the twin to.

"Do ya know what two Togekiss mean Leafy?" he asked her. She nodded warily, and Gary smirked at her. "In that case…" He quickly leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek before turning and running. Leaf stood there on the doorstep, stunned, until he raised one hand and called his iconic farewell. "Smell ya later Leafy!" With this, Leaf snapped out of her surprise and started running after him.

"You idiot! I'm gonna get you for that!" she shouted. Gary just laughed and ran faster.

-oOo-

By year three of the Winter Festival, Gary and Leaf were a full-blown couple. They had been in a steady long-distance relationship as Leaf traveled, having gotten together New Year's Day nearly a year ago. Gary was one of Santa's elves again, and Delia had convinced Leaf to run one of the game booths this year. Because they were in different parts of the festival, they didn't see each other until after the festival was mostly over and the booths were being closed up. After closing up the pokeball toss game she'd been running, (where the kids used fake pokeballs to knock down pyramids of empty MooMoo milk bottles,) Leaf sprinted all the way to Santa's Grotto and arriving breathless in front of it.

"Would it be possible for me to borrow Gary for a few minutes?" she asked after catching her breath. Tracey and Professor Oak both nodded, knowing smiles on their faces as Gary and Leaf disappeared out of the tent. They didn't come back for about half an hour, and when they did, Gary had a huge smirk on his face, and Leaf was giggling, her french braid coming loose.

Come Christmas day, a knock came at Leaf's door, just like it had the past couple years. She quickly answered it, finding Gary Oak standing at the door once more. She let him in, greeting him with a quick kiss. They exchanged Christmas presents. Leaf made Gary open his first, a box filled with candy canes, candy corn, a bottle of syrup, and other assorted candies. Inside, she had left him a note that said '_So you can balance your four food groups, Mr. Elf: Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corn, and Syrup.'_ Gary laughed at her gift and had Leaf open the gift he'd given her. Inside the box was a statue with a Torchic, Combusken, and Blaziken, all wearing a beret and holding a baguette. There was a little gift tag attached to the Blaziken's baguette. It said '_So you'll never forget the first time you were french kissed by an elf.'_ Leaf blushed and punched Gary in the arm as he started laughing at her reaction.

-oOo-

Year four of the Winter Festival brought both a non-white Christmas season and a famous boy band called the Stray Boys. Leaf had talked Delia into letting her run one of the vendor's stalls next to Santa's Grotto, and she joked around with Gary when they weren't busy. During a particularly slow point for Leaf's sales, Gary reached behind her and grabbed three Christmas tree ornaments. Before Leaf could take them back, he started juggling them.

"Gary! Put those down!" Leaf shouted at him. He just laughed and grabbed another to add to his trick.

"Nah. Don't feel like it," he said to her, throwing the ornaments higher than before.

"Gary! You're gonna break them!" Gary continued to ignore her, drawing attention to both of them. Of course, Ash Ketchum happened to be walking by, and he approached Gary and Leaf's stall.

"Woah! That looks fun!" he said. Gary smirked.

"Well then, catch!" he called, throwing some of the ornaments to the black-haired pokemon trainer. Catching them, Ash threw them back so that the two were juggling all four ornaments between them. By this time, Leaf had given up on yelling at Gary and simply ignored him. Well, until he started throwing them at her every once in a while. Frustrated, she threw them back at him, eliciting laughter from the gathered crowd. By the time Leaf realized that she was only encouraging Gary and Ash, she was selling the ornaments and baubles like crazy. By the time people started closing up shop, Leaf had sold out thanks to her boyfriend's antics. As soon as Santa's Grotto was closed up, Leaf ran over and pulled Gary away towards where the Stray Boys were performing on a temporary stage. As they stood in the crowd, Gary rolled his eyes.

"These idiots sing worse than Spearow do," he said to Leaf. She hit his arm.

"They do not," she argued.

"_I_ sing better than them," he scoffed. Leaf looked at him disbelievingly.

"Really?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep. In fact," he said, pushing through the crowd. Leaf grabbed his arm, trying to stop him, but he just dragged her along with him.

"Gary! Stop it!" she said, laughing as they reached the stage.

"Hey!" Gary called, catching the attention of the boy band.

"What can we do for you?" the lead singer Kendrick asked, bending down a bit.

"Well, you can sing better for a start," Gary said, loud enough for everybody else to hear. They all laughed at him as Leaf face-palmed at his audacity.

"So you think that you can sing better than me?" Kendrick looked both affronted and amused.

"Nope. I know I can." The crowd laughed again, and so did the rest of the band while Leaf just shook her head exasperatedly. Deciding to play along, Kendrick put his hands on his hips.

"Then let's have a little competition Mr. Spiky-hair," he said to Gary. The 24-year-old professor shrugged and hopped up onto the stage.

"For the record, my name is Gary. Gary Oak." More laughter from the crowd, causing Gary to look at them. "What did I say that was funny?"

"Some people laugh at the strangest things sometimes. But back to the contest: We're gonna need a judge. Any suggestions, mate?" Kendrick asked. Gary looked over the crowd, pretending to think hard over his decision. As soon as his eyes landed on Leaf, he smirked. Following his train of thought, Leaf started shaking her head.

"I think we should have _her_ be our judge, the girl with long ash brown hair and the cute white hat," Gary said, pointing out his girlfriend. The crowd laughed, as it was well-known in Pallet Town that Gary and Leaf were together. Gary gave them a playful glare as he threw his hands up in fake exasperation. "Seriously, what is it with you people?" The crowd responded by pushing Leaf towards the stage, despite her obvious resistance. When she was up in the front of the crowd, Gary reached down and pulled her up next to him. "What's your name? Because I would peg it as beautiful," he said, making the crowd laugh again.

"No flirting with the judge, mate. She's supposed to be impartial," Kendrick scolded Gary, who held up his hands defensively.

"I was just asking what her name was. Is that a crime?" he asked, pretending to be insulted. Leaf sighed and pushed between the two men.

"Ladies, ladies, you're both beautiful. My name is Leaf Green, and you're both acting like complete dweebs," she said before checking her watch. "Can we get this started already? I have plans with my boyfriend in half an hour." As the crowd laughed, Gary and Kendrick both shrugged and started their competition. After twenty minutes, (during which, Leaf learned Gary had trouble carrying almost any tune,) Leaf interrupted Gary in the middle of one of his songs. "Okay, I'm sorry babe, but you can't sing _at all_," she said. Kendrick looked at Gary, surprised.

"Wait, she's your _girlfriend?_" he asked. The crowd laughed, nodding. "So _that's_ what the joke was."

"But, regardless of my two year long relationship, I still think that the Stray Boys are much better at singing than my boyfriend," Leaf said, pecking Gary on the cheek before jumping off the stage to turn and look back at Gary. "Are you coming? We were gonna watch Silent Night, Deadly Night with Ash and Misty." She paused before adding "Then we were gonna see how long it took Ash to fall asleep with you, me, and Misty scaring him." The crowd laughed as Gary jumped off the stage and followed her.

That year, Gary spent the night of Christmas Eve on the Greens' living room couch. He was rudely awakened on Christmas morning by Leaf pulling open the curtains and sitting on his stomach.

"Getoffme," he grunted, pushing her off of him onto the floor before sitting up. Leaf rolled her eyes and threw the present she was holding at his face. Gary laughed at her. "Joke's on you. It didn't hurt, and now I get my present first," he said, tearing open the wrapping paper. Inside the box was a karaoke machine. As he looked at Leaf, she shrugged.

"Now you have a way to practice your singing. Maybe you can actually learn to carry a tune," she said innocently. Gary laughed, picking Leaf up and throwing her over his shoulder. "Hey! Put me down!" she laughed. Gary threw Leaf onto the couch and picked up one of the presents under the tree to hand to her.

"Merry Christmas Leafy," he said, dumping it in her lap before sitting next to her. Leaf opened the gift, pulling out four mechanical Spearow. Pressing a button on their stand, they started singing a Christmas carol. Gary leaned closer to her and whispered "I still think Spearow sing better than the Gay Boys, or whatever they're called."

"Gary!" she shouted, pushing him off of the couch and laughing at his purposeful misnaming of the boy band

-oOo-

For the fifth and current year, Leaf decided to run a tent for beginning trainers to meet various pokemon. Ash had even lent her his exotic pokemon from Unova, Kalos, Sinnoh, etc. Ash had helped her set up because Gary was busy with Santa's Grotto, just like he had been the past four years. Leaf didn't really blame him though, seeing as how it was his grandpa he was helping out. The festival both dragged and flew by at the same time, despite how it would seem impossible. The kids loved her pokemon tent so much, she ended up roping Ash in to help her try and control them. Misty helped too, having stumbled upon them during one particularly busy section, threatening to sic Gyarados on anybody who wasn't following the rules. That actually helped, to the surprise of Leaf and Ash, so they convinced Misty to stay and help them. Turned out to be a bit of a mistake because they all got into an argument about which pokemon was the best, and which was the worst, which led to other various arguments. By the time they all agreed that Chuck Norris would make the best Indigo League Champion even with only a Magikarp and a Rattata, and Squirrel Girl would probably have a pokemon team made up of Pachirisu, Emolga, and possibly the Mincinno evolutionary line, it was time to take down the tent.

'_I just realized we have the most random debates,'_ Leaf thought as she returned the pokemon, starting with the bird pokemon on the other side of the tent. While they took down the tent, Ash and Misty got into a fight about what the best Christmas movie was.

"It's Home Alone for sure," Ash said as he pulled on the tent flap.

"The sequel was much better," Misty replied, and Ash nodded in agreement. "But both of them are trumped by both Elf _and_ Silent Night, Deadly Night."

"Never! Silent Night, Deadly Night is the worst movie ever!" Ash shouted, shuddering. He still hadn't completely gotten over the trauma from watching it last year.

"Don't be such a baby. You're only saying that because it scared the crap out of you," Misty taunted. Ash glared at her.

"It did not!" Leaf decided to take this opportunity of Ash's denial to prove him wrong. She snuck up behind him as he argued with Misty about whether it had scared him.

"Where are ya, ya little bastard?" Leaf said, making Ash jump and hide behind Misty. As the two girls cracked up along with Pikachu, Ash's face went red in embarrassment.

"It's not funny!" he shouted. Misty nodded, still laughing hysterically.

"You're… Right… It's… Hilarious!" she shouted between her laughter. Ash threw his hands in the air and walked out of the tent as Misty, Pikachu, and Leaf laughed even harder. After they'd gotten over their laughing fit, Leaf wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I find it hard to believe Ash hasn't broken up with you once for the past nine years despite your constant fighting," she said. Misty shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised you and Gary have managed to last three. You hated his guts back when Ash and I got together," she stated before pausing. "But now that I think about it, you two are like two peas in a pod. I mean, you both tease Ash, you both have brown hair, and you were both on time to get your pokemon from Professor Oak."

"Ha ha, very funny. I think you should go find your boyfriend and make sure I didn't emotionally scar him," Leaf said. Misty snorted.

"He was emotionally scarred long before tonight by about a year. He couldn't sleep for a month after our Christmas movie night," she said.

"I almost feel sorry for him. I'll see you tomorrow. I've got to go find my boyfriend and hope he hasn't emotionally scarred the Pallet Town kids in his elf costume," Leaf joked. Misty rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to Leaf as they went their separate ways. Leaf arrived at Santa's Grotto as the last kid left it. Surprised to not see Gary standing outside like he usually did, she peeked inside. "No way," she breathed, a grin blossoming on her face as she spotted her boyfriend sitting in Santa's chair, dressed up as the big man himself. He looked up as she started laughing.

"Leafy!" he said, standing up. Leaf walked in, trying to suppress her laughter.

"What are you wearing Oak?" she asked. He looked down at his outfit and shrugged.

"Gramps got sick, and I lost Rock-Paper-Scissors to Tracey. But in my opinion, rock would easily beat paper," Gary said before smirking behind the thick white beard he was wearing and sitting back down on the throne. "But whaddaya say about telling Santa what you want for Christmas?" he asked, patting his knee.

"Are you kidding right now?" Leaf asked him incredulously. Rolling his eyes, Gary grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap.

"Nope. Now, what do you want for Christmas Miss Green?" Leaf pretended to think it over.

"Well, first of all, don't call me 'Miss Green.' It makes me sound like I'm a teacher. But for a gift, how about a nice fake-fur coat? I mean, I have been pretty good this year," she said in a sweet tone. Gary rolled his eyes at her as she continued. "But not just that. I could also use a nice, light blue convertible too."

"Well, that sounds like an ambitious Christmas list," Gary said. Leaf grinned.

"Oh, but that's not all. I think it would be nice to have a big, fancy, expensive yacht. Oh, also, the deed to a platinum mine would be perfect," she said teasingly before her face got really serious, losing the teasing grin she had before. "I forgot to mention one little thing," she told him, looking him directly in the eyes. "A ring, from a special somebody. And I don't mean on the phone. The kind you only give to your special someone."

"Well, that sounds like a tall order, but I'll see what I can do," Gary said, a smile on his face. Not a smirk, but an actual, genuine smile. Leaf smiled back and pecked him on the cheek before making a face.

"I suggest you shave that beard if you want any more kisses from me," she said. Gary laughed and pulled of the fake beard before kissing her.

-oOo-

Leaf didn't see much of Gary the next few days preceding Christmas, and when she did see him, he was talking to Ash, who was also MIA most of the time. Instead of tracking down her boyfriend, she spent most of her time with Misty and Delia, both of whom seemed excited about something, but wouldn't tell her what. Leaf hated feeling out of the loop, but Misty promised to tell her after Christmas, if she hadn't figured it out by then. When Christmas Day finally arrived, Leaf spent the entire morning alone with her father, as Gary still had yet to show his face. In fact, it wasn't until mid-afternoon when somebody knocked on their door. Leaf sprung up to answer it, expecting (and finding) her boyfriend standing there on the doorstep. He smiled, holding a small box in his hand. As her dad walked up behind her, Leaf noticed Ash, Misty, Delia, and Professor Oak all standing by the road, Misty and Ash both either taking pictures or videoing her and Gary with their phones. Misty winked at her and nodded at Gary. As Leaf looked back at her boyfriend, he smiled and got down onto one knee. Leaf's eyes widened as she realized what was going on, and her hands flew to her mouth as a smile blossomed. Gary opened the little box, revealing a beautiful golden ring embedded with an oak leaf-shaped emerald.

"Leaf Green," Gary began formally, his smile both happy and hopeful. "Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?" he asked. Leaf was speechless for a moment, despite having known that this was coming. Then she threw herself at Gary, hugging him as she nodded.

"I will!" she cried happily, and Gary stood, swinging her around. After putting her down, Gary waved at Ash.

"Hey Ashy-boy! She said yes!" he called, pulling out his phone. Leaf looked at him curiously.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Sh. Just watch them. Delia doesn't know yet, and Misty definitely doesn't so it'll be a fun surprise for them," he said, beginning to record a video of Ash and Misty. Misty looked surprised at this newest development, and turned to Ash, probably to ask if he knew what was going on. She paused mid-question as Ash pulled off his hat and got down on one knee, pulling out a little box. As he opened it and asked a question, Misty and Delia both stared at him, stunned. After a few seconds, Misty got over her shock and literally tackled Ash.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Leaf and Gary heard Misty squeal. Ash laughed before kissing his girlfriend. Or rather, fiancée now. Gary ended the video he was taking before surprising Leaf with a kiss as well. Delia, Professor Oak, and Mr. Green all looked on proudly as the two newly-engaged couples made out, not the least bit embarrassed by the 25-year-olds' actions.

* * *

><p><em>I feel like I could've ended that better. Oh well, I got two proposals in there, and yes it is canon with the last chapter.<em>

Leaf: Oh goody. I can finally come torture you in your A/Ns.

_Wolfie: Will the torture keep me awake?_

Ash: Why do you wanna stay awake?

_Wolfie: I'm pulling a New Years' all-nighter with my cousin._

Gary: Great. So you're gonna crash and burn tomorrow hard.

_Wolfie: But I'll write all night while watching Sesame Street and get the next chapter(s) posted. Hopefully._

Misty: So you're gonna watch Sesame Street all night and get nothing done.

_Wolfie: Exactly._

Paul: Then why did you say you were gonna post the next chapters?

_Wolfie: Because a girl can hope baka!_

Dawn: Why couldn't Paul have proposed to me?

May: And Drew to me?

_Wolfie: Because you don't live in Pallet Town. If you really want, I can try in a different chapter._

Jessie: I should appear in another chapter. I am the most fabulous person here.

**Everybody else:** _Suuuure._

Drew: *Whispered to Gary* Five bucks says she doesn't last the night.

Gary: *Whispers back* Five bucks says she does then. *The two shake hands*

_Wolfie: Are you betting on me?!_

Gary&Drew: Nooo... She's onto us! *Run out door.

_Wolfie: I personally hope Gary wins. Anyways, Happy New Years' again, wish me luck on my all-nighter, please review, and excuse me while I go try my best not to pass out before New Years' Dinner. Wolfie out! Peace!_

Happy: Aye sir! *Suddenly grabbed by Wolfie*

_Wolfie: Help me stay awake, and I will stop scolding/attacking you for saying that at the end of my chapters._

Natsu: I'll help!

_Wolfie: Awesomesauce._


	6. HandymanShipping

_Tracey and Daisy. I personally find them a great couple. I'm really sorry for not posting this earlier, I actually had it ready this morning but I had to go on a 10-hour road trip from my grandparents house back to my own. T.T _

_But I'm posting it now! Handymanshipping chapter go! Now read! I'll talk to you after the chapter._

_PS: It's a bit more mature than before. Tell me if you think I should bump up the rating._

**_On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six Farfetch'd laying, five golden rings, four calling Spearow, three Combusken, two Togekiss, and a Pidgey in a pear tree._**

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful Christmas Day in Kanto, and the Waterflower sisters were throwing an all-day party at the Cerulean Gym. Misty hadn't been too thrilled, but had consented on four conditions: she could invite her friends, it ended exactly at midnight, no alcohol, and <em>nobody<em> was allowed into the pool, especially after the last time. It had taken forever for them to get the drunk people out of the pool, and there had been one especially bad person that they had all agreed to never bring up again. So now the party was hopping, despite having been going on since 7:00 in the morning and it was now 3:00 in the afternoon. Tracey Sketchit had been looking forward to the 'Waterflower Christmas Extravaganza,' but not because it was supposedly the biggest party in all of Kanto, only being surpassed occasionally by the New Year's party they threw a week later, but because it gave him an excuse to see Daisy. He had been quietly crushing on her ever since they first met two or three years ago, back when he had been visiting at the same time as Georgio asked Misty out to the Electabuzz game and he cleaned the pool for Daisy. They had been seventeen or eighteen years old back then, and Misty had been thirteen. Yet despite him looking for the blonde girl and her supposedly being the life of the party, he hadn't seen her. He had run into both Lily and Violet several times, and they never knew where Daisy was any more than he did. He spotted Misty and Ash running down the stairs, probably racing each other. Tracey walked over to them, interrupting Misty's gloating before Ash could yell at her and get them into a fight.

"Hey Misty. Hey Ash," he said. Both teens looked at him and smiled.

"Hey Tracey. Enjoying my sisters' party?" Misty asked, punching Ash in the arm as he opened his mouth to ask her something.

"Hey! What was that for?" he asked. Misty punched him again.

"I was trying to stop you from saying something stupid. Obviously, it didn't work," she said. As Ash glared at her, Tracey interrupted the inevitable argument that was brewing.

"The party is great Misty. Thank you for hosting it. I was just wondering if you knew where Daisy was," he said. Misty and Ash looked at each other before nodding.

"She's been in her room for a while," Ash told him.

"We were up in my room all morning, and we heard somebody run up the stairs and slam a door. I figured one of my sisters got their makeup ruined or something, so we didn't look into it," Misty added.

"Turns out it was Daisy, and she hasn't come out since she slammed the door," Ash finished. Tracey frowned, a worried look crossing his face.

"Any idea what's wrong?" he asked them. Both of them shook their heads.

"She just yelled at us to go away when we knocked on her door. So we did. Figured we'd check in with her later," Misty said.

"Mind if I go check on her now?" Tracey asked.

"Sure. Really, I think she's more likely to open up to you than me with Ash," Misty replied. Ash looked at her, confused.

"Whaddaya mean?" he asked her, not offended, just curious.

"I mean I don't think Daisy would appreciate having an emotional talk with both you and me in the room," Misty said, looking away as her cheeks started to turn pink.

"That's easy. I'll just go check out the refreshment table with Pikachu then," Ash said with a grin. Misty's eyes widened as she looked at the crowd. Specifically the girls, Tracey noted.

"You know, I'm feeling kinda hungry too. Let's go. See you later Tracey!" Misty said, pulling Ash towards the refreshment table and waving to Tracey.

"Bye!" Ash shouted, also waving. Tracey waved back with a grin at their actions before starting to climb the stairs. He walked over to Daisy's room and knocked on the door.

"Go away!" she called from behind the closed door. Tracey frowned.

"Daisy? It's me, Tracey. I was just wondering if you were okay," he said. He heard a slight shifting from inside.

"I'm fine. Go away," Daisy said again. Now Tracey could tell something was wrong because she hadn't used the word 'like' once, and she still hadn't grown out of that, along with Lily and Violet.

"Something's wrong. Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked her. More noise was heard inside the room, like somebody sitting up on their bed.

"Why do you care?" Daisy asked.

"Because I'm your friend, and I want to help you, even if it's only by being there with you," Tracey said. There was a long pause before he heard Daisy stand up and walk over to the door, opening it. Tracey blinked when he saw Daisy's appearance. She was wearing a hot pink dress with a sparkly bodice and slightly poofy knee-length skirt made of a sheer material over silk, but it wasn't the dress that surprised him. It was the fact that Daisy had obviously been crying. Her mascara had been running and was smeared across her flushed cheeks, her eyes were red and puffy, not to mention her face still looked damp. Her hair was falling out of its perfectly curled ponytail as well, and the strands around her face were still wet. She stared at him, her gaze slightly unfocused as if she were thinking about something else. She turned around and sat on her bed, leaving the door open for Tracey to come or go as he pleased. He walked in, closed the door, and sat down next to her as she stared blankly at the wall with her hands in her lap. After a few seconds, Tracey spoke. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"He… He broke up with me," Daisy whispered, still staring at the wall. Tracey looked over at her.

"Who did?" he asked her, unsure of who her current boyfriend was.

"My boyfriend Noah. We've been together for four months, and he just broke up with me," she said, tears beginning to flow again. Tracey put an arm around her shoulder. "I- I thought that I could tell him, that he was someone I could rely on, and he'd be okay with it, but… He broke up with me!"

"Tell him what?" he asked, giving her the chance to vent her pain and possible frustration.

"I told him that… That… I'm…" Daisy said between shuddering breaths. Tracey waited, not pressuring her. Daisy wiped her eyes and looked directly at Tracey. "I'm pregnant." Tracey blinked in surprise.

"Is it his?" he asked. Daisy nodded, looking at her hands in her lap. "Well, I think that it's great news."

"Noah didn't think so. He said he didn't want a baby and broke up with me," she told him bitterly, scrunching up the sheer material of her skirt in her hands. She had stopped crying again by now, probably because she had no more tears to shed.

"How far along are you?" Tracey asked. He still had his arm around her shoulders, and neither had made any move to change their position.

"Probably about a month," Daisy said quietly. After a short pause, she continued. "I'm thinking about not having it."

"You mean putting it up for adoption?" Daisy shook her head, denying that was what she had meant. Tracey moved in front of her, crouching so he could look directly at her, although she was still looking down at her lap. "Do you really want to, or is it just because you're scared of what's gonna happen if you do?" he asked softly, wanting to clarify. A short pause followed as Daisy thought about her answer.

"I… I don't know," she admitted, looking at him. "What do you think I should do?"

"Well, I think you should do what feels right. In the end, it's up to you, really," Tracey said slowly, wanting to help, but not wanting to force her into doing anything. Another pause followed as Daisy thought his advice over.

"What would you do?" she asked, surprising the green-haired boy. He thought about his answer.

"I think that I would probably have the baby and then decide whether to keep it or give it up for adoption. But I'm probably not the best person to ask that question to, since I'm never going to physically have a baby myself," Tracey decided.

"I don't think I'd be able to do it, not on my own," Daisy said, looking down at her lap again. Tracey frowned at her.

"Why would you have to do it on your own? Not only are you one of the strongest people I know, you have three wonderful sisters that would help you with anything, and-" He stopped talking, unsure of whether or not he should finish his sentence. Daisy looked up at him, confused.

"And what?" she asked him. This time it was Tracey who looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"Well… You also have me," he said. Another pause stretched between the two as Daisy waited for an explanation while Tracey bucked up the courage to confess, at least partially. "I-If you needed help, I'd be there for you. A shoulder to cry on, a handyman, a friend. You name it, I'll be it," he said, looking Daisy straight in the eye. For the first time since she had disappeared from the party, Daisy smiled, even if it was only a small smile. Deciding to take a chance, Tracey continued. "And in my opinion, if that Noah runs from responsibilities like this, he doesn't deserve you in the first place. You or your child." Daisy's smile grew even more at her friend's reassurance.

"You know, I think I'm ready to go back to the party. I feel a lot better now," Daisy said, standing up. Tracey stood too, suddenly realizing that he actually had to look down at Daisy rather than them being about the same height. The blonde girl started pushing him towards the door. "I'll, like, be right out, kay? I just need to fix my hair and makeup," she said. Tracey nodded, happily noting that she was at least on her way back to being her usual self, one like at a time. He smiled, waiting for Daisy, and when she came out, she looked stunning with her makeup flawless and her hair pulled back in an impeccable curly ponytail. It was as if she hadn't been crying at all. Tracey offered her his arm, and she took it. They walked down the hallway together, stopping at the top of the stairs.

"You sure you're ready to go back down there?" Tracey asked, looking at Daisy. A worried look appeared on her face.

"Is there, like, anything wrong with my makeup?" she asked him. Tracey shook his head.

"No. But even if there was, you'd still be the most beautiful girl in the world," he said sincerely. Daisy smiled at him, and together they descended the stairs to the party. They ended up enjoying the rest of the party together, Tracey even working up the nerve to ask her to dance once. After the dance, Daisy smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. As Tracey stared at her, dumbfounded, a splash was heard from the pool.

"ASH, YOU CLUMSY IDIOT! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!" Misty screeched from where she treaded water inside the pool. Ash lay on the ground poolside, having obviously tripped, probably knocking Misty into the pool by accident. Tracey and Daisy laughed together as Ash tried to help Misty out, only to be pulled in and submerged by the vengeful redhead. As Tracey looked over at the blonde beauty laughing at his side, he decided on his New Year's resolution, which he would make sure to keep: He would ask Daisy out on a date at some point during the next eight months, and he would always be there for her no matter what.

* * *

><p><em>So? Whaddaya think? Should it bump up the rating or no? Also, did you like it?<em>

Dawn: I liked it. But please don't ask for reviews again.

_Wolfie: Oh, that reminds me-_

Everyone except Paul: NO!

_Wolfie: Gosh, I was just gonna say that I'm not gonna be done tomorrow like I originally planned. Sheesh. What's with you peoples?_

Leaf: How does Dawn asking you not to ask for reviews remind you that you're gonna end late?

_Wolfie: I think I'm slightly insane. But only by like, twenty-five percent._

Misty: *Sweatdropping* Well, at least you don't plan to throw yourself off of the Eiffel Tower, like **someone**. *Looks at Ash*

Ash: In fairness, I jumped after Pikachu off of the Prism Tower, not the Eiffel Tower. Plus, a mega Blaziken saved me.

Gary: Ashy-boy, there aren't any fire-chickens in Wolfie's world.

_Wolfie: I wish there were. That would be **AWESOME!** But this is getting off track._

Drew: When does it not?

_Wolfie: Touche. Well, please comment- *Turns to Dawn and yells 'HA!* -and excuse me while I go find a fire-chicken in the real world. Wolfie out! Peace! *Happy appears, and Wolfie drags him out of the room with her while yelling "**NO!**". A faint "Aye sir!" can be heard from the hall.*_


End file.
